Ruperto Blanco

Ruperto Blanco was a Chilean general who commanded the 20,000-strong Ejercito de Chile during the War of the Bolivian State. Born in Valparaiso, Blanco was a member of the reactionary military clique that governed Chile during the late 19th century, and he was given command of one of Chile's major armies. In 1899, he occupied the whole of Bolivia after Chile declared war on the Bolivian State.